Every page tells a story of animals who have suffered the most horrible of existences at the hands of humans, who are fortunate enough to be rescued and given sanctuary at Black Beauty Ranch in Texas.

Babe's entire family was killed when she was a baby, when her herd was "culled" in a national park by order of the South African government. You can imagine the trauma and terror among these intelligent creatures, who have strong emotional bonds to each other. Babe was "spared", but put in shackles and sent by boat to a circus in the States. Her state of mind during transport can only be imagined. She suffered leg damage, likely from the shackles, and the subsequent performances she gave, until she grew too lame to continue. Fortunately, activists stepped in to move her to the Texas sanctuary and she has lived the intervening years in kindness and contentment, with her special friend, Omar, the Camel.

Update: I just checked online and read that Omar died a few years ago, and that Babe was being readied to be moved to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, where she will live with other elephants. I hope that all goes well.

I can hardly bear to read these stories. The author delves into factory "farming", medical research labs, and the most horrendous abuses. How humans can treat other beings, both animal and human, the way they do is beyond me. I tell myself if the animals can endure the suffering, I can bear witness. I also remind myself of all the people who try to bring both action and redemption to these horror stories, by counteracting darkness with light. That's the one good thing I take away from these stories. But millions of animals never find deliverance from their lives of pain. Those are the stories that haunt me.

I couldn't read anything like that, Sherry. I would cry and cry. thank you for bearing witness, and for your lovely poem about Babe and the fruit. I enjoyed the poem very much, and the watermelon made me smile.K

i walked with some elephants from the train to the circus and a few days later went with them from the circus back to the train. i was an unpaid intern at peta in virginia in 07. it was hysterical becuz we were supposed to be video taping the elephants in order to document any mistreatment if it were to occur. but the guy in charge forgot to charge the batteries so we just held the cameras up and pretended they were on.